


What You Face In The Mirror

by ItsCutterKirby



Series: Failsafe!Paul AU [1]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Infected Paul, Panic Attacks, Possession, Post-Canon, Punching a Mirror, Whump, a bit of, but i cant write it that good so, eh, hivemind - Freeform, hoo boy, hot chocolate for hannah, its not too bad tho, she deserves it, torturing paul hours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:53:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25955518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsCutterKirby/pseuds/ItsCutterKirby
Summary: Paul discovers something in his reflection.(An Infected!Paul fic no one asked for)
Relationships: Hannah Foster & Lex Foster, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Series: Failsafe!Paul AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920724
Comments: 49
Kudos: 69





	1. The Failsafe

**Author's Note:**

> here we go
> 
> uhhh there's a bit of a panic attack but i don't think it's detailed
> 
> enjoy~

Paul Matthews woke up with a headache.

This wasn’t too out of the ordinary. In fact, it was more common than one might think. Thankfully, Paul had a day off work, so he didn’t have to deal with it during office hours. As Paul set about getting ready, the throbbing in his skull didn’t die down. After putting on his clothes (just a blue shirt and jeans, it was a nice day), he took one last look in the mirror. 

There was something blue on the side of his mouth.

Paul stared at it. What could that be?

~~He knew what it was. He knew he knew he kn~~

As he looked into the glass, breath growing more frantic, his head pounded. Then his breath caught.

_His reflection wasn’t moving with him anymore._

His reflection was still. Then, it’s mouth grew into a twisted grin. It’s eyes grew wide. _They were glowing._

It’s mouth opened.

_Paaaaaauuull~_

Paul fell back against his wall, a scream escaping his mouth. _it couldn’t be no no couldn’t they were cured no_

His reflection’s smile reached its eyes. _Oh, Paaauul… but I’m right heeeree~. Don’t you remembeeerr?_

Paul gasped for air. He was definitely having a panic attack. He couldn’t deny it anymore. They were here.

**The Hive.**

The Hive clasped its hands together in mock praise. _Very good, Paul! Well done!_

Paul was struggling to form a sentence. “I… _how?_ ”

The Hive pressed its hands to the glass. _Hooowww? Oh, Paul. You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?_  
The Hive’s grin grew more sinister. _No. See, after you blew up our meteor, we realized your planet would be...difficult. So we had to get creative. We made...a failsafe._

Paul clutched the wall. “A...failsafe?”

_Yes, Paul. A failsafe. We created a way to survive even after our spores get destroyed. And guess who the failsafe was given to._

Paul’s breath hitched, the gears turning in his head. “M..Me?”

_That’s right!_ The Hive’s voice sounded like a teacher praising a small child. _When you blew up the meteor, the leftover spores infected you completely. You became me. I made the failsafe and kept it in our body. After that stubborn military branch contained us in the hospital and engineered a cure, we realized we had made the right call. So, after you were cured, the failsafe took root. It took a couple months, but…_ The Hive spread its hands. _Here we are._

Paul’s expression gained a touch of confusion. “Why...why are you telling me all this? I-I’ll tell them! I’ll tell PEIP!”  
The Hive let out a melodic laugh. _Silly Paul… **We can’t let you do that.** _

\------------

Paul sprinted out of his house. His mind was racing quicker than it ever had, but one thought screamed louder than all others. _Tell someone._

Of course the first he went to was Emma.

He knew where she was. She would be heading to the grocery store. She had told him so yesterday. She was out of milk. The thought of her knowing about this slowed his pulse ever so slightly. She’d help. She’d know what to do.

~~The Hive’s laugh echoed through his skull.~~

There she was.

“ _Emma!_ ” Paul called out. She turned his way. _she’s here she’s here she’ll help_  
“Paul? Are you okay?” Emma looked concerned. She should be. Paul looked like a mess.  
“Emma, Emma, Emma…I need to talk to you.”  
“Okay, uh, should we just...step over here?”  
“Yeah, yeah. Okay.”

They stepped into an alleyway. Paul took a deep breath. _Okay, just tell her._  
“Emma, Emma. I-” The words died in his throat. _why why what’s this why can’t i_  
“It’s okay, take your time.” She gave him a comforting smile. Of course. This would just seem like regular Paul Matthews struggling to talk to the love of his life.  
“I” He drew out the single syllable. “I...was going to ask you out to dinner. ~~that’s not it why why Emma~~ Do you want to...go with me to dinner today?” His speech was strained. He couldn’t move.  
“Oh, of course!” Emma smiled. “How about...Olive Garden? 6:00?”  
His body smiled. ~~he didn’t why was he smiling why~~ “That sounds perfect!”  
“Okay. See you then!” She turned around.

~~no no no don’t go~~

As soon as she was out of sight, Paul’s false smile slid off his face. His hands flew to his mouth, which he realized he’s been trying to do this whole time. He sank to the floor, gasping, hacking for air.

~~what was that what was that wHAT WAS THAT~~

He looked to the right. A relatively large piece of glass was sitting there. Someone had thrown it away. He could see his reflection in it.

_he could see his reflection in it._

The Hive looked at his panicked state and smiled.

_We told you, Paauuull,_ They crooned.

**We can’t let you do that.**


	2. An Eerie Ringing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul begins to crack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woohoo! second one! y'all wanted more, and i came up with more! so! here!
> 
> hehe this one gets a bit more angsty :)

Paul Matthews was at a loss for what to do.  
_The Hivemind was in his body._

He tried telling multiple people. All ending with the same result.

**He couldn’t tell anyone.**

Even _writing_ didn’t work. The Hive seized control of his hand as soon as he picked up a pencil. 

He couldn’t sleep. He could hear its laughter.

He avoided mirrors. It talked to him anyway.

It taunted him. In the streets. At work. When he was alone.

_Especially when he was alone._

Headaches, too. A lot of them. The Hive said it was the failsafe growing stronger.

Occasionally, his mouth leaked blue slime.

Paul could actually see the failsafe. There seemed to be a crack in his chest, blue and glowing, crevices running along his stomach.

As he stared at it, a tiny cerulean crack pierced his skin.

Paul stifled a scream. Hot pain coiled through his body.

His head throbbed.

Paul crouched on the floor, gritting his teeth, facing away from the mirror.  
“Why don’t you just run away with my body and be done with it?”  
He had to know.

He felt like its eyes were on him. It was enjoying this. _Unfortunately, the failsafe isn’t that good yet. We would need actual spores for our hive to rebuild fully. Perhaps soon._  
Paul doesn’t like the sound of ‘soon.’

\-----------

Paul avoids social gatherings now.

Well, more than usual.

It’s hard to hold a conversation while an alien hivemind lurks over your shoulder.

Oh yeah. Now it can appear physically.

Well, not physically. More like a spirit. It only does it while Paul is around people. Most likely to confuse those around him while he keeps glancing nervously at a person that isn’t there.  
It appears as how he looked when they infected Emma. 

He doesn’t like to think about that day.

\----------

“How can I get rid of you?” Paul knew it was fruitless, but he could at least ask.  
_Well, if we told you that, we couldn’t give you what you **really** want, Paul!_

“You-you don’t know what I want.” Paul’s voice wavered.

The Hive laughed. _Oh, Paul,_ it whispered.

_**We both know that’s not true.** _

\---------

It was getting harder to hide the slime. 

He would dissolve into a coughing fit in the middle of work. Bill would ask if he’s alright. He’d just nod so Bill wouldn’t see the slime. The Hive just smiled.

Emma was starting to get suspicious. He could tell. He was looking more disheveled than usual. He hoped she didn’t notice his eyes were more blue than they normally were.

He was home now. Not much else to do while an alien mocks you from inside your brain. 

He wanted to tell PEIP. They could probably tell just by looking at him. 

He stood up. His knees immediately buckled.

The Hive tsked. _We can’t have that now, Paaauuull. This is our little secret.  
**Don’t forget that.**_

Paul sank to the floor, clutching his head. A ringing began in his ears.  
His migraine pounded through his skull.

Slime leaked out of his mouth. ~~not just his mouth his eyes too it’s getting worse it’s get~~  
Tears were forming in his now glowing eyes. The ringing reached a deafening volume.  
Paul tried to scream but his mouth wouldn’t open.

The white noise in his ears continued. It started to sound...strangely melodic. ~~not singing not again not again neEVER~~

_let it out let it out let it **OUT-**_

Paul gasped.

A single note escaped his throat.

The entity in his reflection smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaand that's that.
> 
> leave thoughts & criticisms in the comments!
> 
> hope you liked this one ;)
> 
> k byeeee~


	3. a Doubt and a Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reflection breaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> torturing paul hours

Paul Matthews was hiding in his bathtub.

He was crouched in the fetal position, sobs shaking his body.

Every so often, a note would escape his lips. That just made him sob harder. 

The Hivemind was, per usual, inside his mirror, peering over his trembling form. Its eyes were brighter. _Now, now, Paaaauuulll…_  
Its voice was melodic and falsely soothing. _Careful. And don’t fret. It’ll be over soon enough~._  
Blue slime was being hacked out of his esophagus, dripping down into the tub and onto his tattered shirt. ~~make it stop make it stop no no please help _help_~~

…

_But noooobody came~_

Paul sat up. He was still crying. ~~no one’s coming no one’s coming no one i’m alone i can’t do this i can’t~~

_Thaaaaat’s right, Paul~  
You’re aaaaalllll alone.  
It won’t matter soon enough. _

Paul got out of the tub.

_When aren’t you alone?  
You push your friends away.  
You’re dismissive to strangers._

_You can’t even get a real relationship with Emma._

Paul’s heart pounded. His eyes were bloodshot. His shoulders stiffened.  
“Shut up.”  
The Hive’s grin grew wider. _Whyyyy, Paaauull? Is it because you know we’re right? Is that it?_

Paul’s fist clenched. “ _Shut up._ ”

_We’re right, aren’t we? You’ve always been alone. And now you’re paying the price. No one knows about this. It’s not just because we stopped you. They didn’t notice. Didn’t care. Same old Paul Matthews. And deep down, you **wanted** to see how much they really know about you. See if anyone noticed. And guess what?_

_No one did._

Paul raised his arm.

His reflection’s eyes narrowed.

**_You are alone._ **

Paul Matthews punched the glass.

\------------

Emma Perkins noticed.

Something was wrong with Paul.

He kept glancing to her side, but when she looked, nothing was there.

He kept covering his mouth and ducking to the bathroom. Was he sick?

~~Something about his eyes was wrong. Very wrong.~~

He was staying at home today. He didn’t tell her why, just said he was taking a day off. It was suspicious.

Wouldn’t he tell her if something was wrong?  
Did he not trust her?

She shook off the thought. It was Paul, he probably just didn’t want her to worry. She hoped he knew she could tell him anything.

Emma would check on him later. He needed it. He couldn’t keep up this selflessness forever. Then she’d be there to ~~kiss him~~ scold him for being so dumb. 

_She hoped he knew he wasn’t alone._

\------------

Paul’s too blue eyes gazed over the bandage around his right hand.

But it was clear nothing of Paul himself was present at the moment.

The Hive finished wrapping the bloody hand, humming. _“You need to be more careful,”_ it said. _“These bones are rather fragile!”_

It continued humming as it put on a suit jacket.

_“Now,”_

It straightened its tie.

Paul Matthews banged his translucent fists on the inside of the mirror. He yelled. 

But of course, you can’t hear reflections.

_**“We can begin.”** _

\------------

Hannah Foster was confused.

Webby had been silent for about a week, but today her voice was louder than it had been since _the bad music day._

Her words still hummed in the child’s mind.

**Catalyst. Bad Mirror. Failsafe.**

Hannah didn’t know the first or last words. She would have to ask Lexi later.

Webby had been very clear. She wanted _Hannah_ to do something about this. Whatever it was. Just a few minutes ago she’d said some new words.

**Ask the barista.**

Which was perfect, as she asked Lexi to get her hot chocolate today. She had heard it took the coffee place a while to make it, though.

Hannah wasn’t worried. Lexi would help her. After _that day_ Lexi had started to believe Hannah’s words about Webby. Lexi would help. Lexi always knows what to do.

Hannah would figure this out.

\------------

The Hive closed Paul Matthews' front door. Its glowing eyes flickered towards the Starlight Theater, the meteor's remains still being cleaned. It could _feel_ the leftover spores present in the debris. It leered.

**_"The Apotheosis is upon us."_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heehee so how was it?
> 
> (credit to calling paul 'catalyst' goes to Fence Collapsed, go check them out! they're very very good!!)
> 
> if i come up with a 4th chapter, i'll write it, but i can't write climaxes or conclusions to save my life so uh ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> If I polish the ending enough, maybe I could write it???  
> Even if I can’t come up with a conclusion, I could definitely see myself writing a one shot if y’all wanna see it!
> 
> leave thoughts & stuff in the comments if you want :)
> 
> thank you all so much for liking this small fic!!!
> 
> -Kirb <3


	4. Some Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prophet seeks help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eyyyy!!! i actually have an idea for how i could end this!!!  
> so, here we go!

Hannah Foster was waiting in Beanies. Apparently it did take them a while to make hot chocolate here. Lexi was chatting with the snarky barista, they had struck up a strange sort of friendship the last time Lexi was here. Apparently they bonded over their shared hatred of serving customers. 

Hannah tried to be excited to get her chocolate, but it was hard to be happy when your friend (who’s also a spider) is humming warnings into your head. 

**Barista. Starlight. Chest. Pole.**

Hannah’s head hurt.

Hannah finally got her hot chocolate, taking it in careful hands. As Lexi reached for her wallet, Hannah tugged her sleeve.   
“Barista...Starlight…”  
Lexi looked down. “Is that what Webby says, Banana?”  
Hannah nodded.  
Lexi sighed. “Guessing she means that stupid theater. That what she’s been bugging you about? Something there?”  
Hannah paused, then nodded. She had been right. Lexi always knew what to do. 

Lex turned to the barista. (Was her name Emma? Hannah didn’t remember.) “Hey, when’s your break? I wanna keep complaining about capitalism with you.”  
The barista looked at Lex. “Oh, sure, kid. It’s always nice to find another anarchist. My shift ends in...30 minutes?”  
Lex smiled. “Cool. We’ll wait outside.”  
“Oh, can we swing by my...friend’s house first? I’ve been wanting to check on him.”

**Yes.**

Hannah tugged on Lexi’s sleeve and nodded profusely. (Lexi’s friend Alice taught her that word.)  
“Sure,” said Lexi. She held Hannah’s hand. “How bout we go sit down so you can finish your hot chocolate, Banana?”  
Hannah gave Lexi a small smile and nodded. She could tell Webby was pleased. She did the right thing! She deserved chocolate.

\------------

Paul was nowhere.

Well, that wasn’t right. He had to be somewhere. But where?

He tried opening his eyes. Nope.

Ok. Closed then. 

_What happened?_

Ok. What’s the last thing he remembers?

…

_Oh._

The mirror. His fist. Screaming. The Hive.

It clicked. _He was in his reflection right now._

Is this what it was like for the Hive in his reflection?

Then he realized there was sound. A voice. A singing voice. It.

He was hearing some of its thoughts.

Apparently, it could pick and choose what Paul could hear, unlike Paul himself.

_Starlight. Spores. Can’t tell him. Don’t let him hear._

Then it stopped.

_Hellooooo, Paaaaauuullll~_

Paul yelped.

_Do you like what we’ve been up to????_

Paul could guess the answer was no.

_Hehehehee~ We’ll let you seeeee~_

Suddenly, Paul could open his eyes. He was staring...at himself. No. It.  
It wore one of his suits. ~~He knew which one it was. The one it wore that day.~~  
It’s eyes were the bluest they’d ever been. Blue slime dripped out of the corner of its mouth. A permanent smile was etched on his face.  
It was the least ‘Paul’ he’d ever seen himself.

_“What do you think, Paaaaauuuullll?”_

~~It’s...I…~~

The Hive frowned. _“I knew I should’ve added blue sequins.”_

Paul barely had time to sputter a negative response before he noticed _where_ he was. When he looked behind him, it was a perfect reflection of the Hive’s surroundings (some alleyway)...just… _greyer._ Foggier. Paul could barely see the street they were on. _Where were they g-_

_“Welllllll...that’s enough, Paaaaauuull! I have places to be… and I can’t have you **getting in our way.** Byeeee~~”_

Paul blinked. And then there was nothing.

\------------

The door was locked. This was the first thing Hannah noticed as they approached Emma’s (Yes, this was her name, Hannah checked) friend’s house. Emma clicked her tongue. “Don’t worry, he gave me a key.” She took out (no surprises here) a small grey key. She clicked open the door, and she and Lexi walked inside.   
Hannah hesitated.  
 _Should we really be going into a locked house?_

**Go in.**

Hannah went in.  
~  
It was a mess.  
There were clothes thrown on the floor, dishes clogging the sink, and a trail of something blue leading into the bathroom.  
“Holy sh-” Emma noticed her company ”hhhisters.”  
She peeked into the bathroom.  
And almost stumbled by what she saw.   
Blue.  
There was _so much blue._  
The tub was a mess. Blue slime caking the inside like a clay mold.

But the worst was the mirror.

A massive crack punctured the center with cracks splintering off of it. Blood lined the center…  
But halfway down it turned _blue._  
Oh...Paul.

_What have you been hiding?_

~

A lot, apparently. As they speed walked towards the Starlight, Hannah, with Lex’s help, told Emma about Webby’s warnings, the barista saying, “Hey, I’ll believe anything after the theater zombie apocalypse.”

Together they formulated some kind of idea of what was happening with Paul. He somehow had been half-infected, and kept it a secret to protect those around him. Why he didn’t tell PEIP was still a mystery. It seemed the infection took over, and they’d probably find him at the Starlight.

So, that’s where they went.

The theater’s shattered doors loomed over the trio.

Lexi grabbed a small metal pole. “Just in case.”

They stepped in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> paul is not having fun...
> 
> the next one will actually be the end! conclusion! final battle! stay tuned because i don't know if i'll be able to write tomorrow but here's hoping!
> 
> leave thoughts & criticisms in the comments!
> 
> thanks!~


	5. A Broken Chain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hive is confronted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeeerrree we go!

Paul Matthews could open his eyes again.

That wasn’t a particularly good sign.

With a gasp, he clutched his stomach, gazing at his surroundings.  
He was here.  
The Old Starlight Theater.

With a slight jump, he realized he wasn’t directly in his body’s reflection. Instead, he was transparent, lingering behind… _it._  
The Hive sauntered through the ticket booth, clearly not in a hurry.  
It glanced over its shoulder. 

_“Welcome to our show, Paaaauuuuullll~”_

~~What is this? Why am I here??~~

_“We figured you might want to see the humanity drain slowly out of your body. Sing you the song of your greatest downfall!_  
Paul grit his teeth. ~~I told you, I don’t like musicals!~~  
The Hive smiled wider. It tossed back Paul’s head in a hearty laugh. _“Oh, silly Paul…”_  
It looked towards the approaching theater doors.

_**“You will soon enough~”** _

The door burst open. Paul’s head swiveled to the noise. Three figures stood in the busted doors. And the center one-

_Emma!_

The other two he’d seen around town, but couldn’t place their names. One a small girl, the other a teenager. The teen gripped a metal pole.  
Emma spotted him. No, not him. _It._

_“Paul!”_

~~Emma!~~

The Hive just looked her in the eyes.  
Emma narrowed her eyes. “ _You._ Get out of Paul!”  
The Hive laughed. _“Oh, Emma!~ **You know we can’t do that~”**_  
“Where’s Paul? Why didn’t he tell me?!”

The Hive’s gaze narrowed. **_“Ask him yourself.”_**  
Paul sucked in a breath ~~Wha-~~

Suddenly, his body has substance. His lungs took in real air. He could move his mouth. _He was back in his body._  
His first idea was to run to Emma, but his legs wouldn’t move.

_Uh-uh, Paaauul~ She asked what happened! Don’t leave her hanging~_

Paul’s breath grew frantic. He knew what it was doing. But…

_“E-Emma!”_  
Emma’s eyes grew wide. _“Paul?!”_  
She stepped forward, but the little girl grabbed her arm. “No,” she said. “Bad mirror. No legs. Pole. Catalyst.”  
“Hannah, let...fine.” Emma stood still. “Paul, _what happened??”_  
Paul trembled. Everyone was waiting for him to say something.

“Emma...they-they had a backup plan. A-a _failsafe_ … I-I don’t know exactly _how_ but...they got it in me. I’ve been...I’ve been trying to tell you but-AGH!!!”

Paul’s head throbbed. 

_Now now, Paul. Tell Emma the full truth._

“I...I mean, I couldn't tell you...but deep down I…"  
“I wanted to see if you noticed…”  
Emma stared at him. “Paul? What’re you…”  
Paul looked down at his shoes.  
Then he wasn’t.

~

Hannah watched the unnatural blue return to Paul’s irises.  
“Bad mirror!” She yelled.

Lexi wasn’t holding her hand anymore.  
Emma had realized the luminosity pouring from Paul’s eyes, too. Her expression of horror quickly morphed into one of pure malice. “What did you do to Paul?!”  
The alien hivemind frowned. _“You don’t want to talk to us, Emma? Paul doesn’t want to talk to you.”_

Emma stiffened. “What do you mean?”  
The Hive clicked its tongue. _“He’s ashamed, Em. He thinks you’re mad at him and don’t want to talk to him anymore.”_  
“But- I- I’m not! Paul, of course I’m not mad!”

_“You are. You’re mad he didn’t want to tell you because he thought you didn’t care about him. Where were you when he was sobbing his infected little eyes out in his bathtub? Why didn’t you come to him sooner?”_  
“I-”  
_“He wants something more with you, you know. But he’ll never get it, because you don’t want him. Little Emma doesn’t like getting close to people. Where’s that going to get you in-”_

There was a clang. 

The Hive’s eyes rolled into its head and it fell forward face first on the carpeted floor.

Lex stood behind Paul’s unconscious body, metal cylinder hoisted like a bat. “Well, that was easy.”  
Emma blinked. “You- but- how- _what???”_

Lex just shrugged. “Villains, man. Get’em monologuing and they’re easy to hit.”  
“Oh. Why didn’t I think of that?! You’re a smart kid, Lex.”  
“Eh. I’m not much.”  
“Lexi’s smart. Pole. Chest,” Hannah piped up.  
“Hey, yeah, you did say that earlier. Webby was right, Banana.”  
Hannah smiled.

“So, uh..."

“What now?”

~

Paul was unconscious.

Then he wasn’t.

He was still in his mind, a black space looming around him.  
He noticed his ankle was held down. A blue chain held him to the...floor?  
It was dripping blue slime. Paul tugged at it. Nothing.

_Pauuuuuullll~_

Paul looked around. _There._  
A few steps away, the Hive stood mirror (hah) to him. It was panting, slime leaking out of its face. It growled.

_That wasn’t very nice, Paaauuull._

“I didn’t do anything.” That teenager was the one who hit his body.

_You’re resisting, Paaaauuull. We can’t wake up because of you._

Paul felt strangely confident. “Well, I guess we’ll be here for a while.”

They were at a stalemate.

_You need us, Paaaauuulll. We’re the only ones who can give you what you want._

“What I want?! Being trapped in my reflection isn’t what I want. Being forced to watch Emma die in front of my eyes, ripped apart, isn’t what I want!”  
He was closer to it now. He looked it in its eyes. “You don’t know anything about me.”

_What will you do without us, Paul?! You’ll be stuck in a life you don’t want with no way out because you resisted._

“If it means no one else has to die because I’m so selfish, I’ll take it!”

_You can’t resist us forever, Paul!!_

Paul punched it in the face.

~

Lex noticed a glow. Coming from Paul’s stomach, a blue light illuminated the dark theater. Emma and Hannah peered to look. “What’s...that?”

Lex lifted Paul’s shirt.

A convulsing blue… _thing_ was centered in Paul’s stomach. It was about the size of a golfball with blue fault lines splintering off into tiny cracks.  
“Failsafe,” said Hannah.  
“That’s it?” Lex asked. Hannah nodded. 

Lex raised her arm. “Here goes nothing.”  
She plunged her hand into Paul’s chest.

It was....weird to touch. It felt rough, but clean. Like a gem. Slime leaked off of it. Lex threw it.  
The cracks still pulsed on his chest.

Emma knelt next to Paul. “Paul?!” 

Paul was still.

Then his eyes flicked open.  
_“Emma?”_

Emma smiled. She held his hand. “Hey.”

\------------

“You’re very brave, son.” General McNamara looked over Paul.

Paul sighed. “I didn’t do anything.”

The general pursed his lips. “On the contrary, Matthews, you helped a great deal. Without you resisting the Hive, the failsafe would’ve never been exposed, and the Hive would have infected half the town by now. We’re lucky you were still awake in there.”

Paul looked at his shoes. “So, you can’t get it out?”

“No. I’m afraid the Hive’s presence will linger until we finish examining these spores. They’re a tricky sort. Thankfully, it won’t be possessing your body fully without the failsafe. It will, however, be incredibly annoying.”

“Yeah, I kind of expected that.”

“You’re free to go Paul. Come see us if anything goes wrong.”

“Will do, thank you, General.”

Paul stepped out. Emma waved at him from outside the base. She had his black coffee. They were finally going to Olive Garden.

Paul took a deep breath. Soon enough, the Hive would be awake and would most likely taunt him until he dies.

But he has people who care about him.

He...isn’t alone.

And, for the first time in a week, Paul Matthews had a genuine smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Happy Ending! I don't like sad endings much, so we get a happy Paul. For a treat.
> 
> I do have an idea for a sort of epilogue oneshot if you guys want more Paul/Hive banter...
> 
> Thank you thank you thank you for reading and enjoying this! I had no idea this would get so much support. I genuinely thought this would just be a oneshot...
> 
> Please leave thoughts in the comments. I love hearing what you lovely readers have to say about my little fic :,)
> 
> Sending a virtual hug,  
> -kirb <3

**Author's Note:**

> :)
> 
> I have...ideas for another chapter...
> 
> Leave your thoughts and criticisms in the comments! Tell me if I missed anything!
> 
> ok byyyeeee~


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